(Yicai Global) Aug. 1 -- Limited edition 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Seals will be simultaneously released worldwide on Aug.3.

The Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games have authorized the commemorative issue of the stamps, which are available in either gold or the prized Hetian green-white jade.

The jade seal is available in a limited run of 2,022 units, priced at CNY88,000 (USD12,782) each, while 5,000 of the gold stamps will be struck, for sale at a cool CNY198,000.

Such emblems are an important feature of Chinese traditional culture. People in ancient times deemed them personal tokens of identity and used them to affix their insignia to their artworks, government documents and personal correspondence alike.

They served as reflections of identity for those of a higher status and were frequently made of precious materials whose price was commensurate with the bearer's rank. Engraving the devices was an art unto itself, and jade from Hetian in China's northwestern Xinjiang region has been the material of choice for the seals of the nation's literati for more than 2,000 years.

Staff showcase the seals at a press conference.

The bases of the stamps are engraved with the Olympic logo's mirror-image.

Each emblem has a certificate of provenance and the licensed anti-counterfeiting label of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

A Hetian green-white jade seal glistens at the press conference.

Editor: Ben Armour